Smoking Accessory

ABSTRACT

A device for adding a flavored agent to a cigarette filter may include a housing including a cigarette sleeve and a dispensing sleeve, and the dispensing container may cooperate with the dispensing sleeve to be slidably connected to the dispensing sleeve and may include a flavoring agent. The cigarette sleeve may be adapted to slidably connect with a pack of cigarettes and the housing may include a plurality of containers. The flavored agent may be a flavored syrup, and the flavored syrup may include at least one from the group of: orange, grape, lemon, lime, white chocolate, dark chocolate, cinnamon, raspberry, watermelon, mint, apple, apricot, blueberry, caramel, coconut, cranberry, kiwi, vanilla, peach, chocolate, mocha, hazelnut. almond, amaretto, maple. Irish créme, cream, avocado, papaya, pumpkin, walnut, peanut, mango, passion fruit, pineapple, rum, pistachio, strawberry, banana.

PRIORITY

The present invention is a continuation in part of the previous application having a Ser. No. 12/325, 234 which was filed on Nov. 30, 2008.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to smoking articles such as cigarettes, and in particular, to cigarettes that include filter segments and treating the filter segments with a flavored agent including a flavored syrup.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Smoking articles, particularly cigarettes, generally comprise a tobacco rod of shredded tobacco (usually, in cut filler form) surrounded by a paper wrapper, and a cylindrical filter aligned in an end-to-end relationship with the tobacco rod. Typically, the filter includes a plug of cellulose acetate tow attached to the tobacco rod by tipping paper. Ventilation of mainstream smoke is achieved with a row or rows of perforations about a location along the filter. Such ventilation provides dilution of drawn mainstream smoke with ambient air to reduce the delivery of tar.

Particulate efficiency of a filter is typically resolved as the level of tar into a filter minus tar level out of the filter divided by the tar level into the filter. Ventilation tends to lower particulate efficiency of a filter.

Upon lighting a cigarette, a smoker draws mainstream smoke from the coal at the lit end of the cigarette. The drawn cigarette smoke first enters the upstream end portion of the filter and then passes through the downstream portion adjacent the buccal (mouth) end of the cigarette.

Certain cigarettes have filter segments which incorporate adsorbent materials such as activated carbon, and examples of such are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,881,770 to Tovey; U.S. Pat. No. 3,353,543 to Sproull et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,101,723 to Seligman et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,958 to Ranier et al. Certain commercially available filters have particles or granules of carbon (e.g., an activated carbon material) alone or dispersed within a cellulose acetate tow; other commercially available filters have carbon threads dispersed therein; while still other commercially available filters have so-called “plug-space-plug”, “cavity filter” or “triple filter” designs. Examples of commercially available filters are SCS IV Dual Solid Charcoal Filter and Triple Solid Charcoal Filter from Filtrona International, Ltd.; Triple Cavity Filter from Baumgartner; and ACT from Filtrona International, Ltd. See also, Clarke et al., World Tobacco, p. 55 (November 1992). Detailed discussion of the properties and composition of cigarettes and filters is found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,404,890 and 5,568,819 to Gentry et al, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Typical of prior practices with “plug-space-plug” styled cigarettes has been heretofore to locate ventilation at a location along the bed of adsorbent contained in the space, so as to achieve sufficient spacing of the ventilation holes from the buccal end of the filter. In so doing, the lips of the smoker would not occlude the ventilation holes. Such placement, however, tended to lower the filtration effectiveness of the adsorbent, because it tended to increase the velocity of the mainstream smoke in at least a portion of the absorbent bed.

Various annular configurations of filters having carbon-bearing annular filter regions are disclosed in the prior art. For example, European Patent Application No. 579,410 shows a number of cigarette embodiments having an annular carbon-bearing region surrounding either porous filtration material or an empty tubular cavity formed by a vapor phase porous membrane. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,545 to Crellin et al. shows various configurations of annular carbon-bearing regions surrounding a vapor phase porous membrane or a rod of carbon-bearing material surrounded by a vapor phase porous membrane.

Cigarette filter elements which incorporate carbon have the ability to remove constituents of mainstream smoke which passes therethrough. In particular, activated carbon has the propensity to reduce the levels of certain gas phase components present in the mainstream smoke, resulting in a change in the organoleptic properties of that smoke.

Despite these advantages of carbon bearing filters, they are not so widely employed. It has been found that mainstream smoke from carbon filters tend to have a flavor note that is contrary to consumer preferences, and that therefore their employment in commercially offered cigarettes has not been heretofore widespread.

SUMMARY

A device for adding a flavored agent to a cigarette filter may include a housing including a cigarette sleeve and a dispensing sleeve, and the dispensing container may cooperate with the dispensing sleeve to be slidably connected to the dispensing sleeve and may include a flavoring agent.

The cigarette sleeve may be adapted to slidably connect with a pack of cigarettes and the housing may include a plurality of containers for a plurality of flavors.

The flavored agent may be a flavored syrup, and the flavored syrup may include at least one from the group of: orange, grape, lemon, lime, white chocolate, dark chocolate, cinnamon, raspberry, watermelon, mint, apple, apricot, blueberry, caramel, coconut, cranberry, kiwi, vanilla, peach, chocolate, mocha, hazelnut. almond, amaretto, maple. Irish créme, cream, avocado, papaya, pumpkin, walnut, peanut, mango, passion fruit, pineapple, rum, pistachio, strawberry, banana.

A method for adding flavor to a cigarette filter may include the steps of selecting a flavor from a container within a housing, dipping the cigarette filter in an absorbent material having the selected flavored agent and absorbing the selected flavor agent into the cigarette filter.

The method may include the step of detachably connecting the housing to a package of cigarettes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which, like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a cigarette;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the housing and container with absorbent material;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of the housing and container with absorbent material;

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the housing with a flexible attachment device;

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of a cigarette pack;

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of the cigarette pack and housing;

FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of a cigarette sleeve and a flavor agent dispensing sleeve;

FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of the cigarette sleeve and the flavor agent dispensing sleeve;

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the cigarette sleeve and the flavor agent dispensing sleeve;

FIG. 10 illustrates a bottom view of the cigarette sleeve and the flavored agent dispensing sleeve;

FIG. 11 illustrates a front view of the cigarette sleeve and the flavor agent dispensing sleeve;

FIG. 12 illustrates a back view of the cigarette sleeve and the flavor agent dispensing sleeve;

FIG. 13 illustrates a top view of the flavor agent dispensing container;

FIG. 14 illustrates a front view of the flavor agent dispensing container;

FIG. 15 illustrates a side view of the flavor agent dispensing container;

FIG. 16 illustrates a bottom view of the flavor agent dispensing container;

FIG. 17 illustrates a perspective view of the flavor agent dispensing container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a cigarette having a cigarette filter incorporating a flavored agent and may include flavored syrup adapted to mask gas phase components present in mainstream cigarette smoke, while providing favorable absorption/adsorption, dilution and drawing characteristics, and adding flavor to the filtered smoke so as to enhance consumer acceptability.

Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide such a filter having the flavored agent including the flavored syrup with desirable residence time in the adsorbent/absorbent-containing region while simultaneously achieving a pressure drop downstream of the dilution region and the adsorbent/absorbent so as to provide acceptable drawing characteristics of puffs of smoke having reduced gas phase components but with acceptable taste and resistance-to-draw.

FIG. 1 illustrates a cigarette 100 which may include a cigarette filter member 131 to filter the cigarette smoke and a cigarette tobacco member to be burned and generate cigarette smoke.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the housing 101 of the flavored agent dispensing device 200 which may include a single container 103 or a multiple containers 103, and the container 103 may include an absorbent material member 105 which may absorb and retain the flavored agent member 107 which may include the flavored syrup. The housing 101 may be a rectangular container having a lid which may be opened and closed. The container 103 may be a bowl device The absorbent material member 105 may be formed from sponge, paper or other material which may hold the flavored agent member 107. In operation, the cigarette filter member 131 of the cigarette 100 may be positioned over the housing 101 and may be positioned over the container 103 which may include the absorbent material 105. The absorbent material 105 may be prepared with the flavored agent member 107 which may include the flavored syrup. The cigarette filter member 131 contacts the absorbent member 105 and the flavored agent member 107 which may include the flavored syrup is transferred from the absorbent member 105 to the cigarette filter member 131. The cigarette filter member 131 is withdrawn from the absorbent member 105 and the cigarette 100 is now ready to be used by the user. The flavored edge member 101 from the cigarette filter member 131 provides a pleasing taste to the user. The flavored syrups may include orange, grape, lemon, lime, white chocolate, dark chocolate, cinnamon, raspberry, watermelon, mint, apple, apricot, blueberry, caramel, coconut, cranberry, kiwi, vanilla, peach, chocolate, mocha, hazelnut. almond, amaretto, maple. Irish créme, cream, avocado, papaya, pumpkin, walnut, peanut, mango, passion fruit, pineapple, rum, pistachio, strawberry, banana or any other flavor.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of the housing 101 which may include multiple containers 103 in order to provide the user with a choice of the flavored agent. Each of the multiple containers 103 may include a different flavored agent.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of the housing 101 which may include a flexible attachment device 111 which may include an elastic strap and which may be substantially U-shaped in order to cooperate with a package of cigarettes 100.

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of a package of cigarettes 100. The package may be substantially rectangular, triangular circular or any other appropriate shape.

FIG. 6 illustrates a top view of the package of cigarettes 100 with the housing 100 detachably connected to the package of cigarettes 100 by the flexible attachment device 100 which may be elastic. The package of cigarettes 100 may be inserted through the aperture 113 which may be formed by the flexible attachment device 111 and the housing 101.

FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the cigarette sleeve 101 and the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103, and the cigarette sleeve 101 is adapted to cooperate with a pack of cigarettes in order to slidably attach to the pack of cigarettes so that the cigarette sleeve 101 can be removed from the pack of cigarettes and then slidably attached to a second pack of cigarettes. The flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103 is adapted to cooperate with a flavor agent dispensing container 111 (not shown in FIG. 1) which may dispense flavor agents to cigarettes and which may be slidably connected to the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103 so that the flavor agent dispensing container 111 may be removed from the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103 and replaced with a new flavor agent dispensing container 111 for example when the flavored dispensing agents have been completely or partially used up.

FIG. 7 illustrates a smoking accessory including a housing 100 which may include the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103 which may be substantially rectangular or other appropriate shape and may include a top agent flavor dispensing wall 105 which may be connected to a pair of opposing side agent flavor dispensing walls 107 which may be positioned in a spaced relationship in order to form a flavor agent dispensing channel 113. The side agent flavor dispensing walls 107 may be connected to a bottom agent flavor dispensing wall 109 which may be formed in a spaced relationship to the top agent flavor dispensing wall 105 and the flavor agent dispensing channel 113. The flavor agent dispensing container 101 (not shown in FIG. 7) may cooperate with the flavor agent dispensing channel 113 in order to allow the flavor agent dispensing container 101 to slide within the flavor agent dispensing channel 113 so that when the flavor agents within the flavor agent dispensing container 101 have been exhausted or need replacement the flavor agent dispensing container 101 can be replaced with a second flavor agent dispensing container 101.

The cigarette sleeve 101 may include a top cigarette sleeve wall 131 which may be shown in phantom line in FIG. 7 which is connected to a pair of opposed side cigarette sleeve walls 133 which may define a cigarette sleeve channel 137 which may extend through the cigarette sleeve 101 in order to allow the pack of cigarettes to be removed and replaced from the cigarette sleeve 101. The pair of side cigarette sleeve walls 133 may be connected to a bottom cigarette sleeve walls 135 to further define the cigarette sleeve channel 137.

FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of the cigarette sleeve 101 which may be connected to the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103. Although FIG. 8 illustrates that the cigarette sleeve 101 may extend beyond the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103, other dimensions of the cigarette sleeve 101 and the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103 are within the scope of the invention. FIG. 8 illustrates that the cigarette sleeve 101 may include a top cigarette sleeve walls 131 which may be connected to the side cigarette sleeve walls 133 which may be connected to the bottom cigarette sleeve wall 135. The flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103 may include a top agent flavor dispensing wall 105 which may be connected to the side agent flavor dispensing wall 107 which may be connected to the bottom flavor dispensing wall 109 to define a flavored agent dispensing channel 113.

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the cigarette sleeve 101 and the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103, and the cigarette sleeve 101 is adapted to cooperate with a pack of cigarettes in order to slidably attach to the pack of cigarettes so that the cigarette sleeve 101 can be removed from the pack of cigarettes and then slidably attached to a second pack of cigarettes. The flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103 is adapted to cooperate with a flavor agent dispensing container 111 (not shown in FIG. 9) which may dispense flavor agents to cigarettes and which may be slidably connected to the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103 so that the flavor agent dispensing container 111 may be removed from the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103 and replaced with a new flavor agent dispensing container 111 for example when the flavored dispensing agents have been completely or partially used up.

FIG. 9 illustrates the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103 which may be substantially rectangular or other appropriate shape and may include a top agent flavor dispensing wall 105 which may be connected to a pair of opposing side agent flavor dispensing walls 107 which may be positioned in a spaced relationship in order to form a flavor agent dispensing channel 113. The side agent flavor dispensing walls 107 may be connected to a bottom agent flavor dispensing wall 109 which may be formed in a spaced relationship to the top agent flavor dispensing wall 105 and the flavor agent dispensing channel 113. The flavor agent dispensing container 101 (not shown in FIG. 9) may cooperate with the flavor agent dispensing channel 113 in order to allow the flavor agent dispensing container 101 to slide within the flavor agent dispensing channel 113 so that when the flavor agents within the flavor agent dispensing container 101 have been exhausted or need replacement the flavor agent dispensing container 101 can be replaced with a second flavor agent dispensing container 101.

The cigarette sleeve 101 may include a top cigarette sleeve wall 131 which is connected to a pair of opposed side cigarette sleeve walls 133 which may define a cigarette sleeve channel 137 which may extend through the cigarette sleeve 101 in order to allow the pack of cigarettes to be removed and replaced from the cigarette sleeve 101. The pair of side cigarette sleeve walls 133 may be connected to a bottom cigarette sleeve wall 135 to further define the cigarette sleeve channel 137.

FIG. 10 illustrates a bottom view of the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103 and the cigarette sleeve 101, and illustrates the bottom agent dispensing wall 109, the side agent flavor dispensing wall 107 and the flavor agent dispensing channel 113 which may extend through the entire width of the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103. FIG. 10 illustrates the bottom cigarette sleeve wall 135, the side cigarette sleeve wall 133 and the cigarette sleeve channel 137 which may extend through the entire width of the cigarette sleeve 101.

FIG. 11 illustrates a front view of the cigarette sleeve 101 and illustrates the bottom cigarette sleeve wall 135, the top cigarette sleeve wall 131, the side cigarette sleeve wall 133 and the cigarette sleeve channel 137 which may extend front to back and through the cigarette sleeve 101. FIG. 11 illustrates the agent flavor dispensing sleeve 103 and illustrates the top agent flavor dispensing wall 105, and the side agent flavor dispensing wall 107, the bottom agent flavor dispensing wall 109 and the flavor agent dispensing channel 113 which may extend from front to back and through the flavor dispensing sleeve 103.

FIG. 12 illustrates a front view of the cigarette sleeve 101 and illustrates the bottom cigarette sleeve wall 135, the top cigarette sleeve wall 131, the side cigarette sleeve wall 133 and the cigarette sleeve channel 137 which may extend front to back and through the cigarette sleeve 101. FIG. 12 illustrates the agent flavor dispensing sleeve 103 and illustrates the top agent flavor dispensing wall 105, and the side agent flavor dispensing wall 107, the bottom agent flavor dispensing wall 109 and the flavor agent dispensing channel 113 which may extend from front to back and through the flavor dispensing sleeve 103.

The top cigarette sleeve wall 131 may be connected to the top flavor dispensing wall 105 or the top cigarette sleeve wall 131 may be integral with the top flavor dispensing wall 105 serving both as a top wall and the bottom wall simultaneously.

FIG. 13 illustrates the agent flavor dispensing container 111 which may include a multitude of agent flavor compartments 153 which may be adapted to store and dispense the agent which may be a liquid, a gel, a semisolid, a powder or other appropriate material.

FIG. 13 illustrates that the agent flavor dispensing container 111 may include an agent flavor compartment 153 which may be formed as the depressions in the agent flavor dispensing container 111 and may include an agent flavor compartment interior side wall 155 which may define a agent flavor compartment bottom wall 154. Furthermore, the agent flavor compartment 153 may include a multitude of outer compartment sidewalls 159 which may be connected to a bottom compartment wall 161.

FIG. 14 illustrates a side view of the agent flavor dispensing container 111 and illustrates an agent flavor sealing lid 151 which may detachably connect to the top surface of the agent flavor dispensing container 111 to seal the agent flavor dispensing container 111 and to provide access to the agent by allowing an end of the cigarette to be placed within the agent flavor compartment 153 to transfer the agent to the cigarette. The agent flavor sealing lid 151 may be connected to the agent flavor dispensing container 111 by a reusable/removable adhesive, a hinge or other appropriate devices. FIG. 14 additionally illustrates the outer compartment sidewalls 159 and the bottom compartment wall 161.

FIG. 16 illustrates a side view of the agent flavor dispensing container 111 which may include an outer compartment side wall 159, the bottom compartment wall 169 and the agent flavor compartment interior side wall 155.

FIG. 17 illustrates a perspective view of the agent flavor dispensing container 111 which may include a multitude of agent flavor compartments 153 which may be adapted to store and dispense the agent which may be a liquid, a gel, a semisolid, a powder or other appropriate material.

FIG. 13 illustrates that the agent flavor dispensing container 111 may include an agent flavor compartment 153 which may be formed as the depressions in the agent flavor dispensing container 111 and may include an agent flavor compartment interior side wall 155 which may define a agent flavor compartment bottom wall 154. Furthermore, the agent flavor compartment 153 may include a multitude of outer compartment sidewalls 159 which may be connected to a bottom compartment wall 161.

FIG. 18 illustrates a perspective view of the operation of the present invention. More particularly, a package of cigarettes 1801 or cigars or the like may be detachably/slidably connected through the cigarette sleeve 101 and may be inserted and removed from the cigarette sleeve channel 137. Additionally, the flavor agent dispensing container 111 may be detachably/slidably connected through the flavor agent dispensing sleeve 103 and may be inserted and removed from the flavor agent dispensing channel 113.

During manufacture as shown in FIG. 19, the agents which may be any of the agents described above may be formed within the agent flavor compartment 153 and the flavor agent dispensing container 111 may be inserted into the flavor agent dispensing channel 113. The user may purchase the cigarette sleeve 101 and agent flavor dispensing sleeve 103 with the agents and a user may insert a package of cigarettes into the cigarette sleeve 101.

The user may withdrawal one or more cigarettes from the package of cigarettes, and remove the flavor agent dispensing container 111 from the agent flavor dispensing sleeve 103 and remove the lid 151 from the flavor agent dispensing container 111. The user may insert the end of the cigarette (filter) into the agent flavor compartment 153 to absorb the agent into the cigarette. The user then lights the cigarette and the agent flavors the cigarette smoke.

The flavored agent may include at least one from the group of: orange, grape, lemon, lime, white chocolate, dark chocolate, cinnamon, raspberry, watermelon, mint, apple, apricot, blueberry, caramel, coconut, cranberry, kiwi, vanilla, peach, chocolate, mocha, hazelnut. almond, amaretto, maple. Irish créme, cream, avocado, papaya, pumpkin, walnut, peanut, mango, passion fruit, pineapple, rum, pistachio, strawberry, banana.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. 

1. A device for adding a flavored agent to a cigarette filter, comprising: a housing including a cigarette sleeve and a dispensing sleeve; the dispensing container to cooperate with the dispensing sleeve to be slidably connected to the dispensing sleeve and including a flavoring agent; the cigarette sleeve being adapted to slidably connected with a pack of cigarettes.
 2. A device for adding a flavored agent to a cigarette filter as in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a plurality of containers for a plurality of flavors.
 3. A device for adding a flavored agent to a cigarette filter as in claim 1, wherein the flavored agent is a flavored syrup.
 4. A method for adding flavor to a cigarette filter, comprising: selecting a flavor from a container within a housing; dipping the cigarette filter in an absorbent material having the selected flavored agent; absorbing the selected flavor agent into the cigarette filter.
 5. A method for adding flavor to a cigarette filter as in claim 4, wherein the method includes the step of detachably connecting the housing to a package of cigarettes.
 6. A device for adding a flavored agent to a cigarette filter as in claim 1, wherein the flavored syrup includes at least one from the group of: orange, grape, lemon, lime, white chocolate, dark chocolate, cinnamon, raspberry, watermelon, mint, apple, apricot, blueberry, caramel, coconut, cranberry, kiwi, vanilla, peach, chocolate, mocha, hazelnut. almond, amaretto, maple. Irish créme, cream, avocado, papaya, pumpkin, walnut, peanut, mango, passion fruit, pineapple, rum, pistachio, strawberry, banana. 